by EONS President Johan de Munter
On European Cancer Nursing Day (ECND) on 18 May, EONS will shine a light on cancer nurses and recognise and celebrate the positive impact that they have on the quality of cancer care across Europe.
This year’s ECND23 theme is Driving innovation in Cancer Care. The campaign will have a strong emphasis on how cancer nurses are innovating in five key areas: policy, prevention, personalised care, patient Involvement, and practice education.
EONS is leading the way in helping cancer nurse members build new skills, take new approaches, use new technology, supporting their development in research, education, clinical work, management and policy – all of which play a crucial role in the provision of high-quality patient care and sustainable healthcare systems.
Cancer nursing is a specialised field that provides high-quality care to patients with cancer and their families. A comprehensive, innovative and interdisciplinary approach is essential to manage cancer’s physical, psychological and social aspects. We know that cancer is a disease that affects millions of people across Europe and its treatment is complex, personalised, and constantly evolving. Cancer nursing is a critical component of cancer care, and full recognition of the profession is essential for several reasons:
- Cancer nurses are healthcare professionals who possess specialised knowledge of cancer prevention, diagnostics, treatments, symptom management, psychosocial support, survivorship, and end of life care.
- Cancer nurses have a key role in cancer care coordination and work in collaboration with other healthcare providers to ensure that patients reach the best possible cure and care outcomes.
- Cancer nursing is vital because cancer is a significant public health problem. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and its incidence is expected to rise in the coming years. Therefore, cancer nurses play a critical role in healthcare promotion, cancer prevention, screening, and early detection.
- Cancer nurses provide around the clock individualised care that is tailored to the unique needs of each patient and they are trained to provide evidence-based education and support to patients and their families, helping them to navigate the complexities of the cancer burden.
The ECND23 Task Group invites all cancer nurses to take part in a virtual Europe-wide social media campaign to bring awareness to our campaign themes and messages. This year our hashtag is #ECND23Go4Innovation
ECND23 Task Group chair Mary Tanay said: “The ECND23 toolkit is now available to download from the ECND23 web page. It is full of useful templates and memes for you to adapt for your own use on social media to help make European Cancer Nursing Day on 18 May have maximum impact!
“You can also download key messages that reflect this year’s theme: ‘Driving innovation in Cancer Care’ and add your own pictures. This is our chance to make sure the importance of cancer nursing is understood throughout Europe – so please do take part in this celebration of everything we do, using that all-important hashtag #ECND23Go4Innovation”.
Find out how you can get involved and help ECND23 make a difference: https://cancernurse.eu/ecnd23/